The Hofstra University Pride baseball team out-dueled the Towson University Tigers in a high-scoring comeback affair Friday afternoon at University Field by a final score of 14-10.
Down by one run with two outs in the eighth inning, freshman Dylan Palmer beat out an infield ground ball that allowed Anthony D’Onofrio to score and tie the game at 10. Palmer and Brian Morrell scored the go-ahead runs when Kevin Bruggeman doubled down the left field line that gave the Pride a 12-10 lead. Finally, after going hitless in his four at-bats earlier in the game, Steve Harrington came through in a big way with a big fly over the right-field fence to give the Pride a four-run lead.
In a game where three the first three Hofstra pitchers that took the hill combined to allow 10 earned runs, Michael O’Hanlon recorded the final five outs by retiring every batter he faced, including a four-pitch top of the ninth to get the win and the save.
“Getting [O’Hanlon] in that game, even though we were losing, we knew that we needed him to keep it a one-run deficit,” said Hofstra head coach Frank Catalanotto. “Whenever I can hand the ball to him, I’m happy because it means that the game is close or we’re winning. To watch him work when he’s on; he’s unhittable.”
The Pride’s top three hitters in the lineup, Palmer, Morrell and Bruggeman, combined to go 10-13 with eight RBIs. Palmer himself went 4-4 while Morrell was not far behind, going 3-4 with a two-run home run in the fifth inning.
“They’ve been good lately,” Catalanotto said. “Palmer is always a threat because not only can he hit, but he’s always putting the ball in play, and he can run. Morrell’s swing looks a lot better, and he’s more confident. Bruggeman is just a great hitter that always seems to get the big hit for us. Those guys are swinging the bat well, and this is the time we need them.”
Hofstra overcame multiple deficits in the game, including climbing out of an early 6-0 hole.
“I told them that this game’s not over,” Catalanotto said. “We got to believe that we’re going to win, and I truly believe that because we’ve been swinging the bats well lately. I knew we were going to score a lot of runs.”
Cade Henry started for the Pride but went just 2.2 innings allowing five runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and two walks. John Mikolaicyk followed and pitched 4.1 innings, giving up three runs.
The win over Towson improves the Pride’s overall record to 13-19 and 7-9 in conference. The two teams will continue their three-game series on Saturday with first pitch slated for noon at University Field. Tristan Nemjo will take the ball for Hofstra in his third start of the season.
Photo courtesy of Peter Coco
